Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-05-26
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION
Eighteen Thousand Pounds of Nitro
Glycerine Explode at Spirit
Lake. Mimi.
Fires Create Sad Havoc in North
ern Michigan numbering
Camps.

DULUTH, May 2O.-At 1910 this noon
an earthquake shook the windows and
ratified crockery in Duluth. It was
found to have been caused by an explo-
sion of nitro-glycerine at Spirit Lake,
eight miles from Duluth, at Dryer and
Emery's factory. Eighteen thousand
three hundred pounds of explosive were
in wooden building fifty by thirty feet.
Where this stood is a hole 100 by so
feet and fifty to forty feet deep. The
largest piece Of the building found is
ten inches long. three-inch cast-iron
pipe was found twisted rouud a tree.
Jagged bits of iron and tin were driven
into the wood SO as to be inextricable.
Bits of iron and wood were found full
mile from the spot. There were eight
houses within half mile. Every window
pane was broken. One house was com.
pletely wrecked but stood. One thous-
and feet from the explosion trees were
moved down like grass. It is not known
whether any lives were lost. None of the
workmen were in the building. Two
tramps were seen near tho building Just
before the explosion and have not been
seen since. 1t they were in the building
not speck of them will be found Mrs.
Saurk just recovering from confinement,
was injured by timber falling across the
bed and crushing her ankles. The theo-
ries are heat from the sun and tamperinp
by tramps.
MARQUETTE, May 2O.LThe fire at Camp
Three on the Sur.mit division of the
South Shore road, although terrible and
covering alarge erea, destroying a large
amount of valuable pine timber wood and
portions of the camp, vas not accom-
panied by fatalities. The Italians worked
all night saving most of the camp build
ings. Reports from twenty eight locali-
ties show that on the whole the fires are
diminishing, though they are still very
bad in many places. Along the line of
the South Shore road they are now under
control with one or two exceptions. On
the Felch mountain branch of the Chi
cago q Northwestern road, the small
charcoal village of Whitney was entirely
destroyed, save a supply store. The
principal fires are in Alger, Barclay
Houghton, Neweenaw and MARQUETTE
counties, and large tracts of splendid
pine and hardwood timber have been de-
stroyed.
On the Peninsula division of the new
road there are many bad fires. At Oscars,
small Findland village. seven miles
from Houghton, 1900 cords of wood were
burned, acres of good timber destroyed
and the village menaced. Nels Beekman's
immense cord wood yard, few miles
from Oscars, containing $4,000 cards
is now burning. An engine an6 fire COM
pany has gone there from Houghton.
Advices just received from Tillet's mill
on Silver Greek, six miles south of this
CITY, state that the mill is surrounded by
fire which is burning everything to the
waters edge on both sides of the stream
for miles. A large force Of men there
may save the mill. Higher winds prevail
generally and reports of fresh fires break
ing out are coming in rapidly. It is very
dry and no rain is reported.
1t is believed the great wind-storm two
weeks ago and the forest fires since have
damaged the upper peninsula fully $3,0O0,-
900 and the end is not yet. The fire near
the powder mills here have been extin-
guished.